Fluid Movement is a group of volunteers that create joyous performance art in Baltimore City. We are best known for our synchronized swimming shows (that we lovingly refer to as water ballets) that take place in Baltimore City pools, but you can also find us throughout the city dancing, rollerskating, marching in parades, and doing anything else involving movement that we can get our glittery hands on. We strive to make Fluid Movement a space for anyone to be their most exuberant self in creative pieces that celebrate the city of Baltimore and its residents. See Fluid Movement’s leadership page for additional information on some of the volunteers that run the organization.

Yes, Fluid Movement is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization and registered charity in the state of Maryland. Donations to our organization are usually tax-deductible but please consult with a tax professional. You can donate to Fluid Movement at any time!

Fluid Movement is primarily a volunteer run organization. Fluid Movement does have two part-time staff members (the Artistic Director and the Community Performance Coordinator) that are paid an annual stipend. Some of our opportunities, including water ballet scene directors, producers, set designer, graphic designer, etc. are provided stipends and some are not. Please see out Open Roles for more information on current opportunities and their compensation.

Typically, yes! Fluid Movement shows frequently include kids and are created with an all-ages audience in mind. Any content not suitable for all-ages will be communicated in the show descriptions so that parents can make an informed decision.

When the weather is inclement, the first concern of Fluid Movement and Baltimore City Recs & Parks is that our performers and audience members are safe. In the case of lightning, thunder, and/or rain, pool managers and our producers will work together to decide whether a performance needs to be delayed or canceled. Because summer storms are unpredictable, often this decision will be made immediately before the start of the show.

Rain alone will usually NOT stop a show, but nearby lightning, thunder, or high winds might. If it's raining, bring a jacket because umbrellas can't be used during a performance.

If a show must be completely canceled, we will make every effort to honor your tickets at another performance with available seats. We will announce at that show (and later on our socials and via email) what your options are. If you cannot attend a different performance, we hope you can recruit a friend or family member who can use your tickets to enjoy our show this summer. Our tickets are non-refundable, so if nothing else, we hope our audience understands that the cost of your ticket helps make all the glittery fun possible.

The best way to get involved with Fluid Movement is to check out our calendar, follow us on our socials (Instagram and Facebook), or sign-up for our newsletter.

Almost all of our performance opportunities are open to anyone to join with no skill requirements or auditions. While there is no audition, we sometimes have to limit the number of participants in our performances, so it’s first come, first served performance art!

If you are interested in performing, firstly, welcome! :-) Secondly, a performance/event will be announced as early as we can get everything (or maybe just some things) lined up behind-the-scenes and will include instructions on how to get involved in that specific performance. Typically, our rigorous casting process is “you sign up, and then you show up, and you’re in the show!”

With that said, Fluid Movement is a community of volunteers, and with that comes the need for our performers to double up as a support system for their directors, show producers, fellow scene members, etc. This may include helping bedazzle all the incredible costumes and props you see in a show, bringing snacks, or helping with set-up/breakdown. We always try to accept people as they are, but we also love to put the community in community theater!

If you want to perform with Fluid Movement but you need special accommodations, please reach out to volunteers@fluidmovement.org.

For other ways to get involved or for more information on performing in the water ballet (WB) specifically, see our Open Roles and Performance page. To donate to Fluid Movement, please see our Glitter Fund.

A Fluid Movement water ballet is a theatrical show that happens in a pool! What? How? Why? It’s magic! A water ballet generally (but not always) has a central theme with a narrative (but sometimes just vibes all the way through) that is enacted with land actors and synchronized swimming routines. The water ballet has had as few as 16 swimmers in 1999 to 90 swimmers in 2023 with swimmers coming from all over Baltimore City and the surrounding areas. The water ballet is typically attended by approximately 2,400 people each year and is a joyous celebration of our city, the people in it, and being at the pool with your friends!

The swimming portions of the show typically consist of four “adult” scenes (ages 14+) and one FM Junior scene (ages 9-14), which are picked according to the theme, and culminate in an everybody-in-the-pool-at-once finale that is beautiful and epic! But also we make it up, and every show is unique!

Fluid Movement has a variety of ways that themes have been chosen for the water ballet, including pitch parties open to the public and internal choices that Fluid Movement leadership think represent our particular brand of glittery fun. Typically, the expectation is that if you pitch a show, you are also pitching to make it by diving into the glorious world of PRODUCING! OoOooO! Like almost everything in Fluid Movement, no producer ever goes at it alone, and the Fluid Movement leadership team is focused on making Fluid Movement a joyous place to create performance art.

More information on producing and future pitch parties to come!

See our OPEN ROLES for more information on acting in the water ballet.

Swimming in the water ballet is super fun (at least we hope so), but it does require a sizable commitment! There are rehearsals typically twice a week on weekday evenings for approximately two months, followed by a technical week with multiple rehearsals leading up to the show opening, and then, of course, the show itself. Fluid Movement also has to set up and break down our stage and seating elements for the show each show day, so that our neighbors can enjoy the city’s pool with as little interference from us as possible. Our rehearsals and shows happen outside, and we do have to always be flexible as the weather can be unpredictable.

Fluid Movement is a true team collaboration and arriving on time and being willing to be supportive and lend a hand are what keep this glittery engine running!

More information on rehearsals, tech week, showtimes, and general swimmer expectations can be found here.

Fluid Movement proudly does not require auditions to participate in the water ballet. As such, we are a first-come organization where people interested in swimming in the water ballet in an adult scene must attend sign-ups. Sign-ups are like a hilarious career fair, where the jobs being offered are synchronized swimming scenes (typically four adult (14+) scenes as well as a Fluid Movement Junior scene). Each scene that is available to sign-up for will have specific directors that present their scene’s music, costuming, mood, vision, etc. behind a folding table in a park, sometimes in costume. It’s glorious!

Fluid Movement Junior sign-ups happen online, and specifics about Junior rehearsals and sign-up information will be posted to our socials and in the newsletter as soon as we can secure this information with BCRP.

Sign-ups for the scenes generally occur in late April or early May on a weeknight evening; however, the specific time and location will be posted to our website and socials in March or April and sent out in Fluid Movement’s newsletter.

It’s like a funny career fair with some adults in dry swimsuits! We love it! Sign-ups typically begin by introducing the show’s producers - the people who run the whole show and are the reason we will even have a show that summer. Producers will typically provide an overview of the show theme/vibe. Following that, time is provided for a short elevator pitch by the directors of each of the scenes. There are typically four scenes available at sign-ups. These scenes will each have a specific team of directors, rehearsal pool, and days and times of rehearsals.

Typically each scene’s directors will be present at a folding table and will provide more information on their scene’s music, costuming, mood, vision. People interested in participating will have the option to sign-up for whichever scene they’d like, typically by providing their name and contact information.

Spots are limited and first-come-first-served. After a scene has filled up, participants can choose to go to a different scene or be put on a waitlist for a full scene.

You can send a friend or otherwise friendly person to sign up in your place, but meeting your directors and learning about the scene you are choosing to participate in is advised. We do understand that stuff happens though!

Fluid Movement Junior is for kids aged approximately 9 to 14 that are strong swimmers that want to be a part of the show. Junior scenes are very similar to adult scenes but just with younger people. The Junior scene has directors that create costumes, props, choreography, etc. and is as much a part of the show as any of the adult scenes.

Fluid Movement Junior typically rehearses on Mondays through Thursdays for 90 minutes in the late morning or early afternoon for two weeks in July, leading up to Tech Day. Specifics about Junior rehearsals and sign-up information will be posted to our socials and in Fluid Movement’s newsletter.

Attending sign-ups is not required for FM Juniors. Instead, FM Junior sign-ups happen online. Links to FM Junior signups will be sent out on our socials and in the newsletter.

All over the city! Rehearsals for our adult-scenes typically happen twice a week beginning the first week of June and continuing through the end of July. Since the pools typically don’t open until later in June, the first couple of weeks of rehearsal happen on land near the pool locations.

Each scene in the water ballet will be assigned a specific pool in Baltimore City for rehearsals with a specific rehearsal schedule. Typical rehearsal pools are Druid Hill Park Pool, Roosevelt Park Pool, Clifton Park Pool, and Riverside Park Pool; however, we have also had scenes rehearse at Cherry Hill Splash Park, as well as occasionally indoor pools. Rehearsal schedules tend to be two weeknights from 5:30-7 PM between Mondays and Thursdays.

An example rehearsal schedule would be Clifton Park Pool from 5:30-7 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Specific details on rehearsal schedules and pools will be announced along with sign up information on our socials and on the Fluid Movement newsletter.

Since it’s hard to get in sync in the pool without everyone in the pool, swimmers are asked to miss no more than THREE rehearsals total.

Rehearsals sometimes have to be canceled for inclement weather, pool issues/maintenance, or safety concerns. These cancellations will be announced by your scene directors.

It’s your opportunity to see what people look like in non-swimsuit clothes and to learn how to be silly in a public park! These are fun ways of getting acquainted with your scene directors and members. Your directors get to decide how they lead their scene, so land rehearsals can look different depending on your directors, but typically, they will include playing of your scene’s music and learning choreography (both land dancing and marking some of the swimming portions).

It is recommended that participants come in clothes and shoes they can comfortably move in, prepared with water, sunblock, and bug spray.

We rehearse in the deep ends of multiple pools throughout the city. Each pool, team of directors, and scene members will impact what your rehearsals are like, but they typically include learning applicable synchronized swimming basics during the first couple of water rehearsals followed by your scene’s specific synchronized swimming choreography.

We do not require our members to have any specific synchronized swimming skills prior to swimming in the water ballet, but for safety, members are expected to pass the deep end test by swimming the full length of the pool down and back.

In addition, we do not own the pools, and Fluid Movement always shares the pools with various community members. We ask that all participants be good neighbors and community members first and swimmers in a Fluid Movement show second.

Code Red Days are declared on days when the heat index is high enough that cooling centers need to be provided to many of our city’s residents. These cooling centers literally save lives every year, and our pools are a blessing to communities on Code Red Days. As such, we are not guaranteed rehearsal space on Code Red Days when so many people need to use the pools. Some directors will opt to still have rehearsal without music or just practice skills in the pool. Your scene directors will communicate with you if a Code Red Day impacts a rehearsal.

For more information on Code Red Days, please see the Baltimore City Health Department for more information.

Submit a question to Fluid Movement.